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From: cas@mtdcb.att.com (Cliff Stevens)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Communication Aid for impaired persons
Summary: Just an idea!
Keywords: software hardware communication
Message-ID: <15542@bunker.UUCP>
Date: 8 Nov 90 04:44:37 GMT
References: <15392@bunker.UUCP>
Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP
Reply-To: cas@mtdcb.att.com (Cliff Stevens)
Distribution: misc
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP

Index Number: 11637

In article <15392@bunker.UUCP>, char@b11.ingr.com (Orrin Char) writes:
> Index Number: 11490
> A couple of engineers and I are working in our spare time
> with an ALS patient who suffers from a degradation of her
> muscular control.  We are attempting to develop a more 
> effective means of communication.

Now, don't make fun of me, I'm pretty sure this has been ruled out,
but only pretty sure!  W training a human can control his brain
waves to a (very) limited extent, so could we hook that *PERSON W ALS*
(Is she really that patient?) to an EEG and w some pretty sophisticated
DSP do some rudimentary control?  At least as much as a thumbswitch?

But I think it would prolly take a Cray-XMP to do the DSP, a couple Gigabyte
Winnies to hold the SW, and a room full of EEG HW.  But I could be wrong!
Maybe it just needs a couple Op-Amps and an 8051.

Now, don't get too excited, I've never done any DSP, and I know nothing 
about BioMedical Engineering (Obviously, right!), but maybe somebody should
look?
------------
Militant Handicapped Survivor!
	Cliff Stevens	MT1E228  att!cbnewsj!ncas  (908)671-7292